February 7, 2008

Bernard, a forty-something capitalist, sharply dressed in a dark business suite with slicked back hair and a pampered mustache walks back into the drawing room with a tumbler of bourbon in each hand. To Winston, just as sharply dressed in lighter, slightly friendlier colors, sitting on a red upholstered chesterfield, he suggests with gusto, "Let's buy SonyBorda Count!"

Bernard ignores Winston's quip, meant only to show that he too is smart enough to keep up with Bernard's high-stakes deals, and not buying it for a moment. He continues counting, "Max Wood, Private Dick..."

"Episode One: The Cheatin' Rat?" Winston throws out as an answer with a Chicago accent typical of gangster movies, as if Bernard is playing some childhood trivia game with him.

Bernard smiles. He knows he is smarter and more cunning than Winston. He plays these games to boost his ego. He likes to keep them rolling. "Swinging in the dark," is all he says, seeing if Winston will continue to play along.

Winston knows this game well, though. He plays along, to a point, to stay on Bernard’s good side. He knows that this game will lead to a deal worth hundreds of millions, and if all it takes is stroking a little ego to get it, he'll do it. Looking over his tumbler at Bernard he says, with an ironic twist of accusation, "Monster."

The back and forth play is on. Bernard acts innocent and offers a suggestion to the subject of Winston's accusation, "Crypto-Jews in New Mexico?"

Bernard, having had enough with this part of the game, continues counting names again, just to see if Winston can guess as to the nature of their next exploit, or if he will be forced to come out and explain it all, like he always must. "Amy Winehouse..."